Charge Dropped Against Avs Goalie Semyon Varlamov

DENVER (CBS4)– The charge against Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov that stemmed from a domestic violence incident has been dropped.

A motion was filed in Denver County Court Friday morning to dismiss the charge against the Russian goalie.

“Additional investigation led us to believe we could not prove the case. This is not a reflection of the vicitm, but a reflection of our ability to prove the case,” said Denver District Attorney spokeswoman Lynn Kimbrough.

Varlamov was arrested and initially charged with kidnapping and third-degree assault in connection to the domestic violence incident in October involving his girlfriend at the apartment they shared.

Those charges were later reduced to a single misdemeanor assault charge.

Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrisey says the prosecutor’s key witness omitted key details in what happened in the fight between the goalie and his girlfriend.

He says he couldn’t bring the case forward despite clear evidence Varlamov’s girlfriend had been beaten.

“This victim suffered injuries. This victim had evidence of injuries. There’s not doubt about that. The way and circumstances that those injuries occurred, who did what, and who caused what, that’s what changed here,” said Morrisey.

The witness was also the victim’s interpreter and the girlfriend of the victim’s civil attorney, Robert Abrams, who had been trying to sell interviews with the victim to the media.

Varlamov, 25, grew up in Russia. In July 2011 the Avalanche acquired him from the Washington Capitals in exchange for draft picks.

Varlamov has been free on $5,000 bond and has been traveling and playing with the team. He could have faced a sentence ranging from probation to two years in jail if convicted.

Despite the charges, Varlamov never lost the support of the team.

“From the beginning of this whole thing his teammates and the organization really supported him and I’m sure he was appreciative of that,” said Colorado Avalanche Spokesman Jean Martineau.